Level.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

J. A. TRAUT.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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JUSTUS A. TRAUT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNEfJTlCUT.

LEVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,377, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed August 21, 1902. $erial No. 120,430. (No model.)

To 601/ 1071/07 12, 216 may concern:

Be it known that I, JUSTUS A. 'IRAUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Levels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spirit-levels, and its principal object is to provide simple, inexpensive, and elifectual means for enabling the user to regulate or vary the size of the bubble within the glass.

In the drawings forming partof this specification, Figu rel is a perspective view, partly broken away, of one form of level made in accordancewith my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the level. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the level glass, illustrating the manner of tilting the same to regulate or vary the size of the bubble. Fig. 4. shows the divided condition of the bubble secured by the operation indicated at Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the level, taken at about the line 5 f Fig. 2.

In the several views similar parts are designated by similar characters of reference.

The level may comprise a base or plate 1, to which is attached a tubular housing 2, containing a cylindriform glass, which is secured in the housing by means of cement 3. The glass is divided into two chambers 3 and 3 by means of a partition or obstruction, preferably provided near one end of the glass and preferably in the form of a deep annular crease 4:, which may be inexpensively formed in the glass tube used in making the level. The chamber 3, which is the smaller of the two, has more than sufficient capacity to accommodate the bubble 5, which floats at the top of the liquid 6 in the glass. The portion of the glass having the smaller chamber 3 is preferably confined wholly within the housing 2, and the portion having the main chamber 3 is curved or bowed longitudinally, as at A, so that this portion of the glass corresponds to a section of an anchorring of large diameter. The curved member of the tube may be provided at its middle portion with a pair of reading lines or marks 7 and 8 or with a scale or with a single mark. At the end opposite the chamber 3 the glass is hermetically sealed at 9. The bubble 5 may be of extra large size, and it will be perceived that by first getting the entire bubble into the small chamber 3 and then tilting the level, as indicated at Fig. 3, either all of the bubble ora portion thereof, either large or small, may be admitted into the main chamher 3, as indicated at 5, Figs. 3 and 4.

Thus it will be seen that the present imp rovement has the advantage of furnishing a level in which the bubble is variable in size, while retaining the level-glass in a perfectly closed form, and thus avoiding the necessity for any movable mechanical devices or adjustments for modifying the internal capacity of the glass, which are objectionable because of their expense and liabiltity to get out of order. It will be seen that the glass has a fixed capacity and is provided with means for retaining a portion of the bubble, as at 5, in an inoperative position relative to the reading-point of the level, the partition 4: being deep enough to confine or restrain said bubble, as is clearly apparent from Fig. 4. Preferably the partition is integral with the glass, although my invention is not limited to anintegral partition. It is desirable, however, that the partition be provided at the upper portion of the glass-that is, the portion which is opposite to the bed or plate 1 of the level. Preferably the housing is provided with a mark, as at 10, to indicate the end of the level which contains the small chamber 3. It will be observed in this form of the in-- vention that I provide a hermeticallysealed glass having a fixed capacity, having means for enabling the size of the bubble to be altered, said means being in the form of an integral partition or consisting in the chambering, of the glass; that the long-chambered portion 3 is bowed upwardly in relation with the bed 1; that the glass is sealed at 9, opposite tion of the bubble in an inoperative position relative to the reading-point of the level, and permitting the remainder of the bubble to occupy an operative position with relation to the reading-point, so that either a portion or all of the bubble may be used as required.

2. A level com prising a hermetically-sealed level-glass having a fixed capacity and provided with means for enabling the use of bubbles of different sizes at will.

3. A spirit-level including a hermeticallysealed level-glass havinga fixed capacity and divided by an obstruction into communicating chambers, said glass containing a bubble a portion of which may at the will of the user be confined by said obstruction within one of said chambers, so that either a portion or all of said bubble may be used as required.

4. A hermetically-sealed singlebubble level-glass having a fixed capacity and provided with an integral obstruction which divides the glass into communicating chambers.

5. A hermetically-sealed level-glass having a fixed capacity and provided near one end with an integral partition which divides the glass into large and small communicating chambers.

6. Ahermetically-sealed level-glass having a fixed capacity and provided near one end with an integral partition which divides the glass into large and small communicating chambers, the large chamber being curved in the direction of its length.

7. A hermetically-sealedlevel-glass having a fixed capacity and provided near one end with an integral partition which divides the glass into large and small communicating chambers, the large chamber being curved in the direction of its length and provided with a reading line or mark.

8. A level-glass having a crease which divides the glass into communicating chambers, said glass containing a bubble, a portion of which may at the will of the user be confined by said crease Within one of said chambers so that either a portion or all of said bubble may be nsedin the other of said chambers as required.

9. A level-glass having near one end a crease which divides the glass into long and short communicating chambers, the long chamber having a curve or bow.

10. A level-glass having near one end an annular crease which divides the glass into long and short communicating chambers, the long chamber being curved or bowed and having a reading line or mark.

11. A level-glass having a longitudinally curved or bowed portion and provided with an obstruction upon its upper or convex side, said obstruction dividing the glass into communicating chambers.

12. A level comprising a bed, a glass having a longitudinal curved or bowed portion which curves upwardly with relation to said bed, and an integral obstruction formed in said glass upon its upper side, said obstruction having insufficient depth to form a closure.

13. A level-glass having near one end a crease and at the other end being sealed, said crease dividing the glass into long and short communicatingchambers, and the long chamber being curved or bowed longitudinally.

14; A spirit-level provided with a glass having two communicating distinct chambers disposed end to end.

15. A level-glass having two distinct communicating chambers and a pair of reading lines or marks at the middle of one of said chambers, said glass containing a bubble a portion whereof may at the will of the user be confined Within that one of said chambers which is un provided with said reading-marks, so that either a portion or all of said bubble may be used in connection with said readingmarks, as required.

16. A level-glass having integral means whereby the bubble maybe variously divided and different proportions thereof may be brought into use at will.

17. A level-glass having an obstruction whereby it is divided into large and small communicating chambers, and containing a bubble; the small chamber beingof more than sufficient capacity to contain said bubble.

18. A level-comprising a frame and a levelglass housed therein, said glass containing a bubble and being sealed, and having an integral obstruction whereby it is divided into two communicating chambers, said obstruction being nearone end of the glass, and said frame having a mark to indicate said end.

19. Alevel comprising a bed-plate, a tubular housing attached thereto, and a levelglass cemented within said housing; said housing having a reading-opening, and said glass having at one side of said opening an annular crease of sufficient depth to confine at least a portion of the bubble.

20. A level-glass having means whereby the bubble may be divided into two portions at will so that either a portion or all of said bubble may be used as required.

21. A spirit-level comprising a frame and a glass, the latter having an obstruction dividing the glass into two communicating chambers, whereof only one is the working or reading chamber, the other chamber being wholly inclosed within saidframe.

22. A spirit-level provided with a single glass comprising two chambers and a connecting part of relatively small diameter or caliber, which is so related to said chambers as to be capable of confininga portionof the bubble within one of said chambers, so that either a portion or all of said bubble may be used in the other of said chambers at will.

JUSTUS A. TRAUT.

W'itnesses:

W. J. WoRAM, EVERETT G. HOFFMAN. 

